Reported Misconduct Committed By Attorney John Harwood In Rhode Island

Complaint One

M. Charles Bakst from the Providence
Journal said, "All Harwood has to do is stop acting like a brooding
dictator, make himself consistently available to inquiring
reporters, provide every record sought, guarantee that all other
General Assembly data will be available, arrange for independent
audits of Assembly spending, lead a crusade for progressive, caring
legislation, and ease the ever increasing restrictions on
journalists covering the House chamber. Harwood also spends
thousands in political funds on pro-sports tickets he gives to
constituents. He calls it charity." Citizen Ralph
Greco said, in part about Harwood, "Harwood is an example of the
rampant self-interest that blackens the reputation of Rhode Island
near and far."

Complaint 2

Citizen June Spink wrote in part to the
Providence Journal - Speaker Harwood abused power in his
appointment of Rep. Donald Inman, his personal friend and ally in
the House, to be interim secretary of state. This appointment
is in direct violation of the revolving door statutes that Inman
had promoted as a legislator. Also Mr. Harwood's attempt to
intervene as an attorney on behalf of his clients put him in direct
violation of state ethics laws prohibiting legislators from
representing clients before state agencies. [Harwood has
power over the budgets of state agencies.] Mr. Harwood does
not respect the state statutes or the rulings of the Ethics Commission. Also Harwood vowed to
change and then stated he would support a bill to strip the
Ethics Commission of authority over where
public officials can practice law. Read about the hell that
broke out with the Ethics Commission when,
in part, an ethics complaint was filed against Harwood.

Complaint 3

Short circuiting a bill requiring
independent, annual audits and a full-fledged performance audit
every third year, Harwood picked a one time audit from an auditor
beholden to Speaker Harwood with the audit being designed for the
outcome Harwood was looking for.

Complaint 4

Without admitting guilt, in 1994 he paid
$5,000 to settle an Ethics Commission
complaint that, in the 80's, he sponsored legislation to enrich
himself and his clients in personal injury suits. Over the
years, there's been a ton of controversy about Harwood's political
slush-fund spending and, more recently, his stewardship of the
legislature's budget. A 2001 Journal series depicted General
Assembly spending as extravagant, with Harwood treating the State
House as a private, secretive fiefdom, replete with no-show or
seldom-seen jobs.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Many times the reason or purpose for events in our life initially escapes us,but I am certain we can find reason and/or purpose in everything that happens!

It takes a short time to learn to exercise power, but a lifetime to learn how to avoid abusing it.

We are no longer a country of laws, we are a country where laws are "creatively interpreted."